


Scars

by SpookyMoth



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Post-War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:02:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25201369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpookyMoth/pseuds/SpookyMoth
Summary: Even if you can't see them, they're still there. The narrow cracks in the heart and on the soul. They either make you stronger or destroy you. As Shinobi, you endure, swallow the pain and go on living for yourself, your family, your village. But if you are allowed to be vulnerable and look back, you can also see these scars in your eyes. After the war, nothing is as it was and everyone experiences in their own way what it means when peace is within reach.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 25





	1. Shadows

The evening slowly descended on the former battlefield. After the hectic hustle and bustle of the day, people now took the time to mourn the dead, sit with their friends and pass around a bottle of sake. Campfires were lit everywhere and the smell of food replaced the smell of iron, earth and sweat.

He was sitting in his tent on one of the camp beds that had been assigned to him. He hadn't even bothered lighting the oil lamp that came with the equipment. In fact, he would have loved to wash all the dirt off his body and lie down, but he didn't feel able to do that.

He had just been sitting there breathing for hours. He did the only thing that didn't require effort. Every breath burned.

A happy laugh came from outside. He understood the relief and joy of his comrades. If the war had been different, he would have been happy with them.

But his father had been taken away and he became aware of this fact now that he no longer had to think about saving everyone's life.

His hand searched for the lighter in his pocket. He opened and closed it. 

  
_Click._

_Clack._

_Click._

_Clack._

_Click._

"What are you doing, crybaby?" 

He looked up from his hand and followed the voice that had spoken to him. There was only one person who called him that.

Temari stood there at the entrance to the tent. Only the moon illuminated her. He opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't know what.

 _I'm glad you are fine, but please leave me alone?_ didn't seem so appropriate to him.

Nor did she seem eager for an answer. She dropped the fabric and went into the tent. Then she went up to him and took the lighter from his hand.

He wondered briefly what she wanted with it when he heard her open the glass of the oil lamp. There was a click and the flame hissed.

Now that the light shone on the tent, he saw her right arm wrapped in a tight bandage from the shoulder down and tied in a noose.

"What about your arm?"  
"Nothing more," she replied in a way he didn't know from her. "The shoulder was dislocated and then it broke in two places. I won't be able to use my tessen for a few weeks."

Then their conversation died again and he stared at his feet. This way he didn't have to look at her. He was sure he couldn't stand her gaze. She sat on the camp bed opposite and sighed in relief.  
"It's good to sit," she said. "I've been walking around all day and haven't even eaten anything."

He had no idea why she was here and if he was honest he wanted to throw her out of the tent. He wasn't after talking or company. He wanted to be alone.

"Have you already become too lazy to speak?"  
"I didn't invite you here," he whispered with a sharp undertone.

He heard the rustle of fabric and the next moment her hand raised his chin. She forced him to look at her now. Her eyes looked at him worriedly.

_I can not do this. If she keeps looking at me like this, I will start to cry._

He swallowed hard and reached for her wrist.

"Please go, Temari."  
"No." Her voice had a threatening undertone.  
"Can't you be so troublesome and just do what you're told?"

"Do I look like I'm going to give up without a fight, Shikamaru? This is more your speciality."

He turned his head to the side to stop looking at her. Her hand still didn't let go of him, but turned his head back in her direction.

Now he jerked her hand away and stood up. He moved within inches of her face and glared at her angrily. This woman managed to completely confuse his emotions.

"Just leave me alone. Mind your own business."  
"You're my business right now."

Her words let his anger evaporate. Now she raised her hand again and gently stroked his cheek. She held his gaze. He saw how she tried to smile.

His walls broke and the first tear fell. He couldn't think clearly. He buried his face on her shoulder and sobbed.

She put her arm around him and held him up. At some point she pulled him onto the camp bed with her. He clung to her as he kept crying. She patted him on the back and was just there.

"I can't do that," he said. "I don't want all of this."  
"What you can't do?"  
"Carry on as if nothing had happened."

"Nobody asked you to, Shikamaru," she said.  
He broke away from her and looked at her in amazement.

_How is she able to do that? Every time I feel like the biggest idiot around her._

She had raised an eyebrow. He wiped his face with his sleeve and she started laughing.

"Are you laughing at me now, woman?"  
"Unfortunately yes."

Instead of saying what she meant, she got up and stepped out of the tent. He had no idea what she was up to, but just stared after her.

She came back a little later. In her hand is a small bucket of water. A towel hung over her shoulder and she had apparently put a bar of soap and another towel in the noose.

"Your whole face is covered in dirt," she told him when she saw his eyebrow raised. "You should wash yourself urgently."

Since she was obviously right, he took the soap and everything else from her, she observed him as the water got dirtier. Finally he dried his face.

"Better?"  
Instead of an answer, she wiped his nose with her hand.  
"You still have soap there."

He didn't know where suddenly came this bold idea of wanting to kiss her. He didn't think, but caught his lips with hers. She immediately closed her eyes and returned his kiss. Since she did not intend to blame him for this, he pulled her onto his lap. When he thought he could no longer breathe, he released the kiss.

"Thank you."

She gave him a sly smile.

"I'm happy to continue if it helps you."


	2. Good Nose

Kiba was not good at comforting. He preferred to leave that to others. Especially since he would comfort Hinata if at all, because he had known her for so long, and he didn't feel like the biggest fool. 

Crying women were really creepy. His bowels immediately warped and he wanted to run away. He didn't like to see others suffer.

If someone cried, he suffered especially. That was the moment when all self-control broke.

However, when he heard the sobs from the Yamanaka flower shop, he couldn't go on. Akamaru whimpered as if to say that he was going to do something. Kiba looked around briefly, hoping to see someone who was much better suited to comfort Ino. 

Maybe Sakura was around. Or Chouji. Even Shikamaru he would have loved to see. After all, they used to belong to the same team.

But of course nobody came to his rescue. It was quite late and almost only restaurants were open.   
So he exhaled deeply and entered the shop.

At first he didn't see much because there was only a small lamp on the counter. The many different flowers also irritated him. His nose was just more sensitive than that of a normal person. Sometimes that was a disadvantage. He had to suppress a sneeze when the smells tickled him.

The sobs didn't seem to come straight from the sales room either. Since there was only one other room that led to the back, Ino had probably hid there. Akamaru had already run and apparently his dog had found Ino, because the crying was interrupted by a screech.

_You did really well, Kiba. Now you've scared her too._

He stepped into the room and saw Ino sitting on the floor. The legs bent and the head on the knees. She had a hand buried in Akamaru's fur and stroked it.

Kiba saw how she tried unsuccessfully to wipe her tears from her face with the other hand. 

"Here," he said, handing a cloth out of his pocket. 

He always had various towels with him to dry or clean Akamaru. She didn't look at him as she dabbed her eyes dry and blew her nose. For the fact that she was always very feminine otherwise, she blew bloody loudly for his ears.

Since she was obviously embarrassed to be found in this state, she kept her eyes on Akamaru, who could never get enough pats. Kiba even thought she could see a small smile in the corner of her mouth. 

Since he didn't want to be more intrusive than necessary, he sat next to her at a sufficient distance. She scratched Akamaru behind the ear when she started talking.

"It's my father's birthday today." 

_At least that explains why you are hiding behind here howling._

"That ... um ... I'm sorry, Ino," he stammered, sounding so much like Hinata that he was ashamed. "Oh, crap. I'm really not good at that."   
Now she looked at him and her mouth was open.

Then she suddenly burst out laughing. Akamaru was startled by the volume. He had no idea what was so funny, but apparently it had helped her break out of the sad mood.   
"Oh, Kiba," she gasped at some point. "I thought Chouji and Shikamaru were hopeless cases, but you …"

Laughter shook her again. 

_Maybe that's the key. He could make people laugh._

"It's really not fair. I can't compete against them," he said. "They know you better than I do, after all."   
She narrowed her eyes and grinned at him.   
"You are number three. So ahead of Naruto."   
"Well, what are Chouji and Shikamaru doing better than me? It’s not just defeating Naruto what I want.” 

Ino cocked her head. She continued to stroke Akamaru. He knew how comforting it was to stroke his silky fur. That had helped him often enough when he was feeling bad.   
“Choji would have offered me something to eat. He then invites me to ice cream and doesn't leave my side until I accept this offer. ”   
It sounded so much like Chouji that he had to grin. He really couldn't do anything against that.   
"I have to admit, Chouji is the clear winner here," he raised his hands devotedly. "But how do I manage to lose against Shikamaru? He's the laziest person I know. "   
"And that's exactly his strength," she said with a smile. “He takes me to his favourite place in the Nara forest and then we watch clouds. It is incredibly comforting to just lie there and let your thoughts drift. "   
"Come on, I'm losing to a few clouds?"   
Now she giggled and put her hand over her mouth.   
"Actually you are in fourth place. Because Akamaru is still ahead of you. "   
He made an outraged sound while his dog, the traitor barked and wagged his tail. 

They were cut short when a voice came from the door.  
"Oh, here you are, Ino," Shikamaru said. "You forgot to lock the shop."Chouji peeked out from behind him.

"I still had something to do here." She handed the cloth back to Kiba and he stuffed it into one of his pockets.  
"We wanted to pick you up for dinner," Chouji said.  
Kiba stood up and held out his hand to her. To his astonishment, she not only took it, but pulled him into a short hug. Completely stunned, he put his arms around her and hugged her briefly.  
"Thank you, Kiba."  
"You are welcome." Akamaru sat down next to her and whined.  
"You too, Akamaru," she added, patting his head as soon as she got away from Kiba.  
"Do you want to come too, Kiba?" Shikamaru asked, nodding gratefully. Of course, he immediately understood why he was sitting in the back with Ino.She couldn't hide her tearful eyes too easily.  
"I don't want to bother you."  
"Come with us. The more people the funnier it gets, ”Chouji urged.  
"All right." He scratched his chin, embarrassed. "But we need a place where I can take Akamaru with me."  
"At YakinikuQ they don't mind."  
Ino grabbed his wrist and pulled him with him while Shikamaru and Chouji were already leading.

Apparently he wasn't too bad at comforting others. However, that didn't mean he liked it and didn't want to repeat it anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you probably figured out this is going to be a collection of short chapters from different POV's. They're all around 1000 words, more or less. 
> 
> Thanks for your comments and leaving kudos. :)


	3. Head of the Clan

Akimichi Chouza was a man who took his duties seriously.

He understood early on how important it was not only to risk his life for Konoha, but learned about the cruelties of war in childhood. Many of his friends were directly affected and had to learn to grow up without parents.

He himself had been spared and, even if he was no longer a child, was at least able to experience a safe home. He could always rely on finding a meal lovingly cooked by his mother and listening to his father tell about his missions.

Therefore he had the strength to take over the head of the Akimichi clan when his father didn't return alive from Iwagakure. His childhood and youth had been carefree and full of love, even if there were always tensions between the villages, which discharged themselves regularly.

He had a great woman at his side who accompanied him through this difficult time and soon gave him a son.

He realized what it meant to be a father the night the nine-tails attacked Konoha and caused destruction and chaos within minutes.  
While Minato did everything as a Hokage so that their homeland was not completely razed, he was thinking of his child.

He didn't want him to grow up in a time as unsafe and dangerous as his own.  
Chouji should get to know real peace and not just a temporary ceasefire.

Therefore, he did not think long, but step forward with Shikaku and Inoichi and gathered his clan alongside the Sandaime.  
In the end, however, there was nothing he could do. Namikaze Minato not only gave up his life, but also that of his wife, and sealed the fox spirit in his own son.

It was neither fair nor righteous and the death of the Yondaime was not only a great loss for Konoha, but also that of a friend.

For a long time there was a peaceful time and with joy he saw how not only did his son learn to walk and speak, but how he built a friendship with Nara Shikamaru, as he had always wanted. He enjoyed evenings with his best friends, where he and Shikaku playfully teased poor Inoichi by having a daughter, before they said goodbye and returned to their families.

Soon another dark cloud passed Konoha when the Uchiha clan silently instigated a revolt. Shikaku had anticipated this for a long time. He had never agreed to banish the entire clan to the outskirts of the village and Chouza trusted his evaluation.

When Uchiha Itachi wiped out his entire clan in one night except his little brother, Chouza also knew why he blindly trusted Shikaku. He could see dangers on the horizon long before they were there.

The death of the third Hokage by Orochimaru was another blow. For the first time, Chouji experienced firsthand what it meant to be a shinobi. Chouza remembered all too well how his son was plagued by nightmares for weeks. That was exactly what he had wanted to prevent, but from now on it was no longer in his hands.

To this day, he would never forget how his heart stopped when his son was seriously injured and returned from his mission more dead than alive. He still had Shikamaru's face in front of him asking for forgiveness for failing. Chouza watched as he tried desperately not to burst into tears again.  
He also felt like a failure. The generation of his son just had to correct the mistakes of previous generations of shinobi. It was wrong, and yet it made them all grow.

Years passed, his son became chunin - which made him even more proud - and his friendships became closer. He knew that Chouji was still too soft and kind to be at full strength, but Choza believed in him.

Until Sarutobi Asuma's death shook not only Choji but Ino and Shikamaru in particular. He remembered the meeting with Shikaku afterwards all too well. His friend was worried about his son. Inoichi also seemed to be completely overwhelmed.

The fact that their children had left under Kakashi's direction had briefly reassured them, but it was the Akatsuki that they had to stand up to.

_"Shikamaru is a smart boy. He won't rush in anywhere without thinking,"_  
_Chouza tried to calm them down._  
_"Chouza is right," Inoichi added, refilling their sake bowls. "In addition, if necessary, Ino will beat some sense into that boy."_  
_Shikaku laughed deeply._  
_"I would never have thought that it would be your daughter, of all people, who would keep the team together," he remarked, clinking glasses with his friends._  
_They emptied the sake and placed the bowls resounding._  
_"I have to go home, otherwise Yoshino will give me hell."_  
_Laughing, they were sending their friend home._  
_"Another round, Chouza?"_

_He raised his bowl to Inoichi._

This would be their last meeting for a long time. After that, the first waves of war hit Konoha. Sixteen years after the nine-tailes attacked, he saw his home put in debris and ashes.  
Shortly afterwards, the Fourth Shinobi War was declared. It was different this time. They fought side by side with former enemies.

_"One last time," said Shikaku the evening before the battle._  
_"One last time," agreed Inoichi and Chouza._

_Their bowls of sake clinked as they bumped into each other._

_He shook as the alcohol burned through his throat._

He sucked in every word from his best friends.

He knew after that he would never hear their voices again.

His breath caught as the Biju-bomb fell down at the headquarters.

_Farewell my friends. It was an honour knowing you._

His wonderful wife took care of his friends' women. And Choji, his great boy, did everything to help his friends.  
Ino and Shikamaru had come to see him today. They were now the leaders of their clan and had asked to meet.

Ino definitely had cried and he could smell the cold smoke if cigarettes on Shikamaru.

But they sat straight in their chairs. Their shoulders settled and ready for what was about to come.   
He wanted to say how proud they made him, when Ino started taking.

"We are here to take over our duties as Head of the Yamanaka -"   
" - and the Nara clan", Shikamaru ended. "And for this we need your help Akimichi Chouza."

He swallowed the tears that gathered in his eyes.

_I will help your kids as much as I can._

_Inoichi._

_Shikaku._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thank you for you lovely comments and the kudos.   
> Hope you liked Chouza's POV.


	4. Phantom Pain

Three days was a hell of a long time. At least if, like her, you were busy with work from early morning until late at night. So it was hardly surprising that on the evening of the third day she was so exhausted and ran into the wrong tent. She just wanted to drop onto the next camp bed, but then she heard the choked gasp under her and she jumped up immediately. The red of a Sharingan shone out of the darkness.

_Of course it had to be Sasuke's camp bed._

"Oh, sorry, Sasuke-kun," she said, turning bright red.  
He swung his legs to the side and sat up. In the dark he was nothing more than a shadow of many. Now she heard the snoring of Kakashi and Naruto mumbling in his sleep. Usually she shared a tent with Shizune.

_Damn it. I have to save the situation somehow._

"Go back to sleep, Sasuke-kun. I was just wrong about the tent." She was almost out of the tent when he mumbled her name.

Sakura stopped. She didn't know why, but every time it sent shivers down her spine. He had a way of saying her name like no one else.

"Stay here," he added.

_He is not angry. That's a good sign._

She went back to Sasuke with soft steps. He moved aside on his camp bed.

"Sit down."

"It's okay, Sasuke-kun." She heard him sigh slightly.

"You've been on your feet all day. So please sit down, Sakura."

"How do you know?" she asked in surprise.

"I saw you." She blushed again.

_He was watching you._

She took a seat next to him and kept a little distance.

Everything was so new and unknown. Sakura hadn't had time to sort out her feelings or worry about how she and Sasuke stand to each other now. He had apologized to her, but it still hurt to know what he had done to not only her but also Naruto.

Most of them had eyed him with suspicion. Shortly after they set up camp, hard feelings broke out about Sasuke being allowed to run around freely. Finally, Sai of all people had campaigned for Sasuke and suggested that Konoha would take care of him.

Sasuke had stayed in his tent most of the time. Not only because he had a wound that needed to heal urgently, but because he didn't like being accompanied by at least two shinobi. He seemed to have fewer problems when it came to Kakashi and Naruto. He even grumpily accepted the presence of her former classmates. But unfamiliar shinobi, even if they came from Konoha, caused him unease.

At least someone who knew Sasuke as good as her saw this. She would have loved to give him the certainity that everything would be all right. Only she couldn't. It was not in her power to change other people's views and thoughts. But she could help Sasuke to deal with it.

She wondered what he was thinking about. Sasuke had never been very communicative. So she just let the silence drift between them.

"Sakura ...", he started, but stopped. He shook his head.

She reached for his sleeve.

"You can tell me everything, Sasuke-kun. No matter what."

He exhaled audibly.

"Is it normal for me to still feel my arm?"

That was bothering him. He was troubled by his lost arm.

"Does it hurt?" She saw him shake his head. "Should I look at it anyway?"

"Hn."

She had to giggle because that was his standard answer for everything. He turned so that he could sit cross-legged on the camp bed. She rolled up his sleeve and focused her chakra in her fingertips.

She didn't want to hurt him, so she just let her hands hover over it. She heard him exhale in relief. So he was in pain and didn't want to admit it.

_Idiot._

She let her chakra work for a while longer and rolled his sleeve back down.

"Is it better now, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yes."

A yawn escaped her. Fatigue really caught up with her now. As nice as it was to sit next to Sasuke, she was just about to fall asleep.

His hand suddenly reached for hers and made her almost jump out of shock.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"You should sleep."

She shook her head. She wanted to stay with him. She could hold on a little more. Then she would look for her tent.

Fortunately, he didn't try to persuade her. He didn't let go of her and ran his thumb over the back of her hand.

_He has never done that before._

"Why do I still feel my arm?" he wanted to know now.

She stretched the muscles on her neck briefly because he was so tense. It felt better right away.

"Your body has not yet understood that your arm is no longer there. It calls up the nerve connections from its memory. That is why you can still feel your arm even though it is no longer there."

She didn't know if he'd be able to handle one arm in the long run; Naruto wouldn't. Sakura hoped Tsunade would find a solution.

"Will this pass?"

She nodded.

"If you have regular chakra treatments, it won't hurt at some point and you can live with it without restrictions."

"Good."

She had to yawn again. Sasuke didn't miss this. He let go of her hand and got up. Then he took his blanket and handed it to her.

"Go to sleep, Sakura."

"It is not necessary, Sasuke-kun!" she uttered indignantly. "My tent is not that far from here."

"Sakura."

She thought she heard him roll his eyes. So she took his blanket and lay down.

"But where are you sleeping now?"

"I've slept enough. You've had a busy day."

She didn't like this arrangement. He was injured and needed rest.

"You can sleep next to me," she suggested daringly.

The silence that followed her offer could have been cut with his katana.

Sakura didn't want to cross his boundaries, but she wouldn't just give in so easy. Instead of answering, he went around the camp bed and laid behind her. He even put his arm around her because the bed was so narrow.

"Now sleep, Sakura."

Smiling, she slipped into her dream world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phantom pain is a well-known phenomenon after limb loss. It is either pain or discomfort, sometimes even the feeling of the leg, hand, arm, foot etc. would act as if they were still there. Sakura has only given a rough description of where it comes from.
> 
> To date, it is not entirely clear why phantom pain occurs.


	5. Silence

There was never complete silence in Konoha. Whenever she walked through her home in the past few days, she was accompanied by the sounds of nails being hammered into wood and the crunching and creaking of the saws. Traders praised their goods and attracted curious faces that were just waiting to test the new specialty from Kiri or Kumo.

Before the war, she would never have believed how quickly everything could change.

The sun was already setting when she finally reached the cemetery. She felt guilty. The last time she had been here was a month ago. It was less than a year since the war ended, and now she had her visits dragged. She had broken her own promise.

She knelt in front of the tombstone and unwrapped the flowers from the paper. Ino had put together a beautiful bouquet of the first spring flowers for her. Every time she visited, she brought him flowers. He deserved to continue to see the beauty of the world. She thought he would watch her from wherever he was.

Unsuccessfully, she tried to suppress the tears that gathered in her eyes. Once she wanted to be strong, but every time she read his name she realized that she wasn't dreaming, it was all real. Her fingers ran across the characters of his name. She could trace them in her sleep.

With the other hand she wiped her face. It was just pitiful. Instead of appreciating the life he had given her through his death, sobs broke out every time someone happened to mention his name. She was a hypocrite to think she was showing him respect.

It was worst at home.

There he had ensured through his presence that she felt better and that everything was not so quiet. She missed hearing his voice. How he drove her to get better and overcome her limits. It was only through him that she could have become so strong. He had believed in her after Naruto showed him another way in life.

She didn't try to suppress her tears any longer. All was so unfair.

"Hinata?"

She winced when she heard his voice. She didn't expected him. So far she had always been here alone. She didn't want her to be seen crying all the time.

She quickly wiped her face with her sleeve. His steps came closer. She turned as he was about to put a hand on her shoulder.

In his other hand, which was completely bandaged, he held a single daffodil. He pulled his hand back and looked at her thoughtfully.

"H-hello, Naruto-kun."

She bit her lip because she was stuttering again. He shouldn't see her that way. He blamed himself for Neji's death. If she hadn't thrown herself in between, her cousin would still be alive. He had protected her to the last breath, as a member of the branch family should.

Naruto gripped the back of his neck with one hand.

"I did not mean to scare you."

"It's okay, Naruto-kun," she replied, getting up. She took the paper from the flowers and wanted to turn to go, but he didn't let her get away with it that easily. He held her back by the shoulder and looked her in the face.

"You were crying," he said.

Of course, she couldn't easily hide her red eyes. Instead of saying something, she just nodded, looking down. She couldn't look into his eyes. There was so much sadness and pain in there and she couldn't take it.

Naruto shouldn't feel bad because of her. She preferred it when he laughed and a grin graced his face.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," he whispered.

Now she had to look up to him. She couldn't believe that he apologized for her tears.

"You 're not to blame, Naruto-kun," she said as quietly as he did.

"Still, I feel guilty. I know how much you miss Neji. I miss him too."

_You're just too good for this world, Naruto-kun._

"I have to go home."

He tightened the grip on his hand around her shoulder.

"Are you waiting for me? I accompany you home."

The way he looked at her she couldn't deny his offer. So she nodded. Then he smiled.

She stopped beside him and watched him go down on his knees and place his flower next to hers on the headstone. Then he put his palms together as if for a little prayer and closed his eyes.

In addition to his loud and carefree nature, there was also the serious Naruto. Hinata knew and loved exactly this side of him. He was a person who cared for his friends and did everything for them.

Finally Naruto got up and reached for her hand. She wasn't prepared for it. The last time she had held his hand was when they were in the middle of the war.

He didn't let go of her all the way.

Night fell and all the noise in the streets stopped. They didn't say a word as they walked all the way to the Hyuga complex. It was a cool evening and Hinata noticed how cold she was. Suddenly Naruto put his jacket on her. She noticed how she turned red.

"You are trembling," he commented. "I don't want you to get sick."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Soon her house came in sight. He stopped and let go of her hand. She immediately missed the warmth he radiated. When she wanted to give him his jacket back, he stopped her.

"You can give it to me next time."

"But aren't you cold, Naruto-kun?"

"Do not worry. I am always warm. "

She smiled shyly at him.

"Good night, Naruto-kun."

He turned and raised his hand in parting.

"Good night to you too, Hinata."

  
She stood there for quite a while and saw him walking down the long, winding street. One hand on his jacket. She breathed in his scent. Hinata swallowed the lump in her throat. Now she would return to the silence of the house. Tonight she might not dream of his death, but of Naruto's happy smile.

  
_I love you._


	6. Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy one of my favourite chapters!

She had really tried to sleep and ignored the silence in the house, but it didn't work.

In the past, she had felt completely at home in her parents' house and was able to fall asleep, knowing that nothing could happen to her. Her mother would check all the windows and doors one last time while her father came home after long hours in the Intel Division and had a light dinner.

After the war, everything was different.

She spent many evenings quietly with her mother in the dining room. Sometimes alone when she heard her mother crying next door. Ino couldn't do anything to comfort her because she also needed consolation. Her heart was at least as broken.

She was alone tonight because her mother was sleeping outside. She was with Inuzuka Tsume and distracted herself from her misery. Ino had considered spending the night at Sakura's, but her best friend was working and sitting alone with her parents was just wrong. After all, she had delayed going to sleep long enough and slipped under her covers.

She had rolled back and forth in frustration.

With a sigh she tossed it aside and stood up. She couldn't sleep like that. She couldn't be alone well. So she got dressed again and sneaked outside.

_What did you have friends for, if not for such times?_

The Nara estate was closer and, above all, it was easier to get in than at the Akimichis.

She knew where Shikamaru's room was. With soft steps she first opened the gate to the garden and then patted bare feet across the porch, shoes in her hand. She bluntly opened the door to his room and looked inside.

He slept on his back as usual and his hair was hanging loosely on his face.

She thought it looked a lot better than his silly hairstyle, but she fell on deaf ears with him and Choji when it came to fashion and appearance. She put her shoes down before entering, closing the door, and kneeling next to his futon.

"Shikamaru," she whispered to wake him up. "Shikamaru, wake up."

Of course he didn't move. Once he closed his eyes, he was dead to the world. Which is why he always took over the first watch on missions. Even Asuma hadn't been able to do anything about Shikamaru's deep sleep.

Over the years, however, she had developed a tactic. She twisted a strand of her hair and tickled his nose. At first he just curled it and reached there with his hand. She pushed the game a little further until his forehead wrinkled and he opened his eyes.

It took him a moment, but then he jumped up, moved back and banged his head against the wall behind him.

"Damn it, Ino. What are you doing here?" He touched the back of his head and rubbed over it. "Especially in the middle of the night?"

"I could not sleep."

She saw his brain start. He might be an idiot on many things, but his powers of observation were second to none. So he went straight to the heart of the matter.

"What happened?"

"My mother is not at home today and the house feels so empty."

He sighed and got up. She looked at him briefly, confused, when she saw him go to the closet and pull something out. It was another futon.

"What are you doing, Shikamaru?"

"Offer you a bed so you can sleep here. I thought that was obvious."

Ino noticed how much she was touched by this gesture. She had just hoped to talk to him, instead he offered to stay. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.

Soon she was under the blanket of her futon, waiting for sleep.

Instead, her head started to shower her with memories of her father. How he laughed when she talked about how stupid boys are. The day when she tied her first bouquet of flowers alone and gave it to her father, whereupon he turned red. How he proudly told Shikaku how well she mastered the clan techniques.

She only noticed that she was crying when a hand took her by the shoulder. She choked with fright.

"Come over, Ino."

"What?"

Shikamaru sighed again.

"Listen. I'm really not the type for it. Comforting people is really not my thing. Choji is responsible for that, but if it helps you, I'll make an exception today."

His hand dropped from her shoulder and she heard the fabric rustle. Ino turned and saw Shikamaru holding the blanket up. She moved up to him somewhat shyly. He dropped the blanket and pulled her towards him.

Her head came to rest on his chest. It didn't feel a bit strange, it felt familiar and at home.

Shikamaru was such a good guy if he wanted to. She knew what a privilege it was to have him among her friends. Even though she was often upset about him and Choji, she only did so because she wanted the best for them.

They cared for each other because friends did that.

"Is that okay?" he asked uncertainly and carefully put his hand on her arm.

"Yes," she replied, trying to hold back the tears that were still bubbling under the surface.

"You can cry. I will not blame you", he said softly.

She bit her lip. There was a question on her mind.

"Do you miss your father also that much?"

Shikamaru immediately stiffened under her. She heard him swallow.

"Every day. Every single day, Ino," he said in a scratchy voice.

"Do you think that will stop at some point?"

He made a sound between amusement and frustration.

"I don't know. Asuma's loss still hurts."

She exhaled heavily and hugged him once.

Shikamaru was always calm and so damn grown up, but behind the facade he was the same boy whose favorite hobby was watching clouds. He could be very emotional, even if he only did it behind closed doors.

"Let's go visit Kurenai and Mirai tomorrow."

"That sounds like a good plan," he said sleepily. "Can you sleep now? Because I'm really tired."

"I think so. "

"Good night, Ino."

"Night, Shika."

Shortly afterwards she listened to Shikamaru's even breathing and soon drifted to sleep herself.

She was so incredibly grateful to her friends. Only through them she could be strong and would also be able to survive this difficult time.


	7. Duties

His life had never been in an orderly fashion. He had known death early on. His mother had died before he even had a conscious memory of her. He missed her, even now, but his father had torn a much bigger hole in his heart.

He had measured himself against his father, who had been his shining example. For him, he was the epitome of a shinobi. Until he found out that he hadn't followed the rules.

After that he lived strictly according to the Shinobi Codex.

It had been shown early on that he was better than everyone else in the academy. He not only worked hard, but was relentless with all of his classmates. Obito was a blabbermouth for him, who was not only a disgrace as shinobi, but for the Uchiha clan..

For a long time, it wasn't clear why he was put in a team with him. Mainly because he always acted like a love fool in Rin's presence.

_"Kakashi, why can't you just accept Obito the way he is?" Asked Rin one day when he was training with her and they were collecting shuriken together._

_"He doesn't take his duties seriously. He's always late. He also says he's going to be Hokage. Who should take him seriously?"_

_Maybe his words came out harsher than intended because Rin looked at him in shock._

_"You are too strict. Sometimes you need to have fun."_

_Suddenly she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Kakashi noticed how he turned red._

The death of his two teammates showed him exactly what constituted a Shinobi and that it was much more important to protect his friends than to bow to the rigid rules of the Shinobi.

But for this knowledge to penetrate him completely, he still had to learn a lot. His time at the Anbu was instructive in many ways. He not only understood how things were going in Konoha, but above all that he had to choose exactly whom he trusted. You couldn't even be safe from betrayal within the Anbu.

Working under the Yondaime was one of the better times of his life. To be entrusted with looking after Hokage's wife was the greatest honour for his abilities. Uzumaki Kushina was well aware of who was responsible for her well-being and often enough she cooked for him, which made Kakashi embarrassed, but he understood why Minato-sensei loved to eat his wife's food.

It was all the worse for him when he could only watch helplessly on the evening of their death as Naruto was orphaned. For a long time he sank into the misconception that this was also the fault of the Sandaime. Only Tenzo showed him how wrong he was.

As he slowly began to make peace with the past, thanks to Gai's unshakable friendship with him, Kakashi had to realize that he was not suitable for the ANBU. The night Itachi wiped out his clan was when he realized it. He blamed himself for it. If he had been a better leader, it never would have gotten that far.

The years after he turned his life upside down. He became more open to others and valued his friendships more. Even if the darkness in his heart never completely disappeared, he could often simply forget that he had suffered so many losses in his life.

Team 7 in particular helped him. He didn't know why, but Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura reminded him of how much joy it was to be Shinobi. Even when his team collapsed and he really failed terribly as a sensei, he couldn't help but think that everything was going to be fine.

He attributed this to Naruto's unshakable will. There was a kind about him that kept him going. Which ensured that everyone could believe in the good.

Now that he was sitting in his office thinking about the last war, he was not full of remorse or bad feelings. It was a relief. He was relieved to be able to experience a time when the new generation of Shinobi, a generation he had helped shaping, would eventually create the peace that he had always striven for. Even if that meant he was crouching over boring papers as a Hokage and would much rather read one of his books.

A knock on the door announced he got a visitor and he hoped it was neither Shikamaru nor Shizune. He wanted a quiet day without interruptions. Surprisingly, Gai rolled in with his usual grin on his face.

Kakashi's eyes fell on his leg, which would be damaged forever. The sacrifice he had made in war and would prevent him from ever working as a shinobi again. Only Gai wouldn't be Gai if that stopped him.

"Ah, Kakashi. I see you enjoy your youth."

He did not comment on his friend's words, but pressed a stamp on the document below him. At least Kakashi wanted to give the appearance of taking his job seriously. But Gai didn't fall for it.

"I'm going to challenge you," he announced.

"I don't have time for that, Gai. I'm Hokage."

"You work too much!"

He wanted to contradict him, but if she had put Maito Gai in the head, he wouldn't let it go.

"What did you have in mind?" "We'll have a competition dinner. At YakinikuQ!"

_Asuma sighed as he put his meat on the table grill. Kurenai and Gai looked at their friend and waited for an explanation. Kakashi continued reading his book._

_"If Choji's appetite doesn't decrease soon, I'll probably have to take on more missions so I can pay the bills here." Kurenai giggled behind her hand._

_"Naruto isn't any better," said Kakashi. "I could leave Teuchi all my wages straight away."_

_"Recently Lee dismantled an entire store when he accidentally drank sake," Gai said sheepishly._

_Kurenai was laughing now. "So do you want to say that my team is the easiest?"_

_The men sighed unisono._

Kakashi stood up. Even if he took his duties seriously, it was at least as important to maintain his friendships. That is why he would cut out time for this today.

Shikamaru could certainly help him work a little faster afterwards.


	8. Routine

Most people live according to established rules. Everyone coped with their everyday life according to a set pattern and that gave them assurance. With that certainty he had grown up.

From the very first moment his sensei had taught him how important it was to challenge yourself again and again and never neglect the training under any circumstances. He had never once broken that resolution against himself and his teammates.

Until that one day.

Neji's funeral had made him break with his routine. When he got up this morning to go to the usual training ground, he stared at his green jumpsuit and couldn't bring himself to put it on.

The tears dripped hot on the fabric as he tried so hard to hold them back. He had actually believed he could no longer cry, but apparently the death of his best friend was a reason not to stop.

His friends were already waiting for him in the cemetery. He wasn't the only one who had cried. If he looked into Hinata's eyes, he could see his own pain there. Kiba and Shino were close to her in case she needed someone. Akamaru had positioned herself at her feet. When Kurenai came with her daughter, she pulled Hinata into a tight hug.

Something cold reached for his heart as Ino threw herself on Choji's chest and started to sob bitterly. Shikamaru lit a cigarette. Lee knew this wasn't the first of the day.

He continued to look at a larger group of Naruto and Sakura people who were talking quietly with Sai, Kakashi and Yamato.

Even though Sasuke was in Konoha, he was detained and was not allowed to walk around freely. Although Team 7 was finally reunited, someone was still missing from their ranks.

While looking at all of his friends, he hadn't noticed Tenten walking beside him. He only noticed her when she reached for his hand. Lee squeezed it tightly. They also lacked someone.

Unlike Sasuke, however, Neji would not come back to them, but would have gone to a place where none of them would follow him. At least not too soon.

The soft squeak of Gai's wheelchair announced the arrival of her last team member. Lee swallowed hard once and nodded to his sensei. Nothing would ever be the same.

They were all at YakinikuQ after the funeral.

Lee thought of the times when they used to sit here and laugh happily together. It was different today. The mood was depressed and was constantly interrupted by tears from Hinata and Ino. Even Choji didn't seem to have a real appetite since he left his meat on the table grill much longer than usual.

Lee knew exactly how sad Neji would be if he could see them all now. He didn't want them to shed so many tears because of him. Instead, he would have preferred to see them enjoying life and making plans for the future. He had got up unconsciously and raised his glass.

"I want to say a few words." Everyone's eyes immediately turned to him.

"Lee," TenTen hissed, grabbing his arm.

"We have to stop grieving," he continued unwaveringly. "But enjoy our youth!"

Shikamaru put his hand to his forehead and murmured a clearly audible “Mendukose”

Before the situation became more embarrassing, Naruto got up with his glass in hand.

"Lee is right. Neji wouldn't have wanted us to cry for him, ”he held up his glass. "Let's toast him. He made sure that we were able to create a peaceful world! "

Sakura and Hinata were the next to get up, followed directly by Shikamaru. When their glasses clinked together, Lee was glad to have said something. Even if they were all still marked by the aftermaths of the war, for the first time he saw hope in the eyes of his friends.

It should be a long time before they all got back into their routine, because with the end of the war there were also many new beginnings.

Lee remembered how he happened to meet Temari and Shikamaru in the hallway of the Hokage Tower and they were kissing. He kept their secret for a few months before they finally made it official.

Sasuke was pardoned and left Konoha indefinitely. The weeks after, he found Sakura very often on the training ground, making deep holes in the ground.

Sometimes he watched Hinata laying flowers on her cousin's grave from a distance.

Naruto very often invited his friends to a bowl of Ramen and he also found himself accompanying him. Especially when Neji was particularly missing.

The first hot summer day in the year after the end of the Fourth Shinobi War was the first day when everything felt normal again.

That day, Lee ran his morning round of Konohagakure for the first time without tears in his eyes, got a small bouquet of flowers from Ino, and laid them on Neji's grave as a birthday present.

Last year in the early morning he surprised his friend with a huge cake that he had baked himself. Perhaps it had been in the oven too long and he wanted to make up for it with a generous portion of frosting, but Neji had eaten it anyway. Even if he had to promise to never bake a cake again.

Lee arrived breathless at his training ground and was surprised not to be alone. Tenten was throwing a series of shuriken into a wooden pole while Gai-Sensei ran across the field with his arms. They noticed him and nodded to him as he dropped to his knees to warm up.

_"I failed, Neji," said Lee, dropping to the floor weakly. "I will never become a real shinobi."_

_"Stop it, Lee," a response came from Neji. "Get better than that. Develop a routine that you don't need to use chakra."_

_He looked at the hand Neji held out and reached for it._


	9. Bed-wetter

His big smile was his trademark.

Everyone who knew him knew that he never lost courage and was certainly not afraid. He was the future Hokage. Nothing would stop him from achieving this goal, not even losing his right arm.

By now he had gotten used to using only one arm. He was able to create shadow clones and did not fall down like every time he fought. It had been damn hard work. Lee in particular had helped him cope and forced him to train harder than ever.

Sakura had blamed him more than once over the year for overdoing it, only he couldn't help it. He wanted to go on missions again and Kakashi had forbidden him to do so until he has two arms again. So he went to his limits and beyond. He couldn't sit still while all of his friends continued to advance.

But what bothered him more than anything was the fact that he couldn't eat at Ichiraku without help.

Teuchi and Ayame greeted him as courteously as ever, but he had only one hand to break the chopsticks apart. Nobody had ever asked him if he needed any help at all, because they simply helped him.

Be it Sakura or Shikamaru, no, even Sai: They all did this without giving him a chance to try it himself. Which annoyed him incredibly. He would surely have found a way if he tried.

_Dattebayo!_

Hopefully tomorrow he would have two working arms again.

He was waiting in his room in the hospital and kept looking outside. Tsunade still had to do some tests, which is why she had already called him in today. Since his friends were all busy, he waited alone. Maybe Sakura would drop by later. He sighed when there was a knock on the door.

Shikamaru strolled in and behind him came faces that were just as familiar.

"Gaara!" he uttered and jumped from the bed towards the Kazekage. "What are you doing here?"

"We didn't need to come with you," remarked Kankuro. Temari just stood there smiling.

"I heard you had your surgery tomorrow and I wanted to be there. As your friend."

Naruto grinned cheerfully at him. He was so happy to see Gaara and that his friend had walked this long way. Suna was a three days' trip away.

"How about we eat something," Shikamaru suggested. "I'm paying."

Surely you could hear Naruto's cheers all over Konoha.

The next day passed by Naruto completely. If he was still nervous in the morning because of such a large and dangerous operation, that only promised a prospect of success, he would not wake up from anaesthesia until the next evening.

He opened his eyes and felt sick and dizzy. His arm also hurt terribly. He groaned because he hadn't expected to feel so miserable. When he tried to sit up, two hands on his shoulders stopped him. Shikamaru had leaned over him.

"Mendukose. Stay where you are, Naruto," he said with a serious look.

"I feel so bad."

"Sakura will be right back. Maybe you want something to drink?" He closed his eyes, hoping the dizziness would pass. Naruto heard the splash of water and shortly afterwards Shikamaru sat down on the bed next to him.

"Maybe you should open your eyes again so you can drink." He automatically gripped his right hand - true, he had two hands again - and immediately noticed how a pain reached his fingertips.

"Argh!" he uttered through clenched teeth. "This hurts."

"After all, you can move your hand."

Now that Shikamaru made him aware of it, he knew it was true. Otherwise it would never have hurt so much. He looked fascinated at the bandaged arm. He had looked down there for over a year, staring only at an empty sleeve. He turned his new arm very carefully. It pinched again when he deliberately moved his fingers this time, but they were moving.

"Didn't you want to drink?" Shikamaru asked with a smile and held out the cup. Naruto wanted to use his left arm first, but then thought about it again. He gently gripped the cup with his right hand and was happy when his fingers did exactly what he wanted.

Shikamaru waited until Naruto gave him a sign to let go. Three seconds later the cup fell from his hand and soaked his blanket and Shikamaru's pants.

Shikamaru started laughing loudly. Naruto joined in. The two of them had been so convinced that it would work and now they were sitting in a puddle of water like such idiots.

"That wasn't a good idea," Naruto said, wiping the tears of laughter with his sleeve.

"You should have seen your face," Shikamaru cackled. "Damn it, Naruto, it looks like I couldn't make it to the bathroom in time."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't hold it anymore." The men immediately began to snort again.

To date, Naruto would never have thought how fun a cup of water could be. Shikamaru got up and reached for a towel to at least get rid of the roughest mess. Naruto saw him still shaking with laughter.

"Can you tell me why you're making such a noise?" Suddenly Sakura's voice rumbled across the room.

Naruto looked first at Sakura and then at Shikamaru. The latter was frozen in motion and seemed to be thinking about what to reply, when Naruto relieved him of this burden.

"I wet myself," he said, pointing to his blanket. Sakura's mouth fell open.

Shikamaru immediately roared with laughter and Naruto also had to hold his stomach as they burst out laughing again.

It was half an hour before they could explain Sakura, what was so funny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out for more Shikamaru-Naruto-Bromance!


	10. Future

If it had been up to him, he would have tinkered his puppets all day. He would have been perfectly happy with it and nothing would have made him happier. After all, he didn't need any more in his life.

However, after the war, his other duties seemed to have doubled, although he shared the work with Gaara and Temari. Therefore, a few months after the end of the Fourth Shinobi War, he was on his way to Tetsu no Kuni and would attend the first official meeting of the Shinobi Alliance there. His sister, who ran next to him, didn't seem to mind the cold at all, unlike him.

After his last stay in the Land of Iron, he had decided never again to travel without a thick cloak, scarf and a cap. He didn't care how much Temari was amused about it. As long as he wasn't cold, he would endure her stupid jokes. How she didn't immediately freeze to a lump of ice with her short skirt was a mystery to him anyway.

"Tell me, Tem. Is your friend here too?"

She gave him a disapproving look before answering.

"If you mean Shikamaru, then yes."

"Isn't he called crybaby otherwise?"

Temari snorted. "I'll never tell you anything again, Kankuro."

"You didn't have to tell me anything, the hickey on your neck already did that."

Now she stopped and grabbed his collar.

"I swear to you, if you do anything during the meeting, I'll throw you naked into a cave and watch you slowly freeze to death in the snow."

He quickly raised his hands soothingly and narrowed his eyes.

"Hey, no need to react like that right away. I just wanted to tease you a little."

She let go of him and trudged furiously through the snow.

At the end of the first day they had not only unanimously voted Shikamaru head of the Shinobi Union - which he had accepted with a sigh - but were now sitting together over a few cocktails in a restaurant. He saw how shy his sister behaved in Shikamaru's presence, while Shikamaru was constantly staring in her direction. Since he couldn't look this any longer, he ordered a round of sake for the whole table.

"Let's toast," said Kankuro and pushed a bowl of sake to Shikamaru.

"I don't drink," said the latter.

"Don't behave like that now. I'm not going to tell anyone that you're not old enough for it."

He rolled his eyes. Temari intervened and pulled the bowl with the sake towards her.

"Don't do that, Kankuro. If he doesn't want to drink, don't make him."

Temari would not remember the end of that evening. But neither is Kankuro. All he knew was that someone brought him into his room and he fell asleep when he thought about why the room was turning so much.

Temari woke him up with a cup of water that she poured over his head. He blinked one eye at her, not sure if he wanted to live or die. If he said the look on his sister's face, probably the latter.

"What got into you?" she snapped at him angrily. "Did you find that funny yesterday?"

"Don't scream like that. My head is killing me."

"I had other plans for yesterday. But you absolutely had to screw everything up with your stupid act."

He held his head with both hands, as he had the feeling he was about to fall off. Temari's screams didn't make it any better.

"So just because you couldn't make out with your boyfriend you're mad."

She made a frustrated sound now.

"He lost his father," she said seriously, glaring at him angrily. "It wasn't even six months ago. He needs someone to help him cope with it and you have nothing better to do than throw a party."

These words hit him. He sat up and motioned Temari to sit down next to him.

"I'm sorry. I completely forgot that."

"Yes, I can tell. You pretend the war never happened." Now she really had a run.

"It's my way of dealing with it," he admitted. "I'm not the type to cry and whine. Somebody has to keep the good mood."

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"That's not wrong either. But everyone deals with it differently. Shikamaru is someone who is concerned with that. In contrast to us, he had a great childhood."

"So I should apologize to him?" She nodded. "All right. But only because you like him."

He spent the rest of the day closely watching the members of the Alliance.

Apparently everyone dealt differently with the aftershocks of the war.

Omoi did not seem to think so much any more, but worked hard to establish a common system for the distribution of the missions. Kurotsuchi apparently wanted to take over her grandfather's reins as soon as possible and become Tsuchikage. The once shy Chojuro vehemently defended his home village's approach to training their shinobi.

Well and Shikamaru was no longer so lazy and groaned at every task, but was dogged to please all parties. Kankuro started to wonder how he wanted to shape his future.

This time when they said the job was done, Kankuro grabbed a couple of bottles of non-alcoholic beer and sat down with Shikamaru.

"Will you try another way this time?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"There's no alcohol in there, shadow boy." He handed him a bottle.

"You must have gotten into trouble."

"Temari doesn't do things by half-hearted."

Shikamaru picked up his bottle and clinked glasses with him.

"To the future."

"To the future." They both took a sip.

"Tell me about your father," Kankuro asked.

Shikamaru had probably not expected it and choked. But he started talking.

While he was listening to him, Kankuro wasn't sure how he wanted to shape his future, but listening to Shikamaru gave him the confidence that it was in the best of hands.

Temari looked at them with a smile and raised her glass in greeting.


	11. Smile

The aftershock of the war did not leave Sai unaffected.

He had always believed he had his emotions under control, because he had been cut off from all feelings from an early age. Danzo had made sure that every member of Root went through the same training until only a perfect tool was left for Konoha.

Shin had been the one person he'd ever felt close to. He had encouraged him to improve his drawing skills. He was the reason for the existence of the book he was flipping through in the depths of the night.

Nightmares were his new companion. He's had trouble sleeping before, but those dreams hadn't been with him then. Sai never dreamed otherwise, but now his subconscious gave him all the cruel images of his past on a silver platter. He dreamed of the people he had killed in the course of his life, of the horrors of war and of how his friends died. The latter in particular irritated him, because it was not only new, but above all scary.

Sai did not stand by idly, but went straight to the library to do some research. His insights had brought him further, but he didn't like the answers because post-traumatic stress disorder not only sounded serious, it was.

He closed his book and decided to go for another walk. Sometimes it helped him get rid of his dark thoughts. After a quick glance at the clock, he quickly reached for his drawing utensils. It wasn't long before the sun rose and painting at sunrise was always something very special.

Like usual, he walked where his feet carried him, with no particular destination in mind. His way led him by chance at the hospital and two all too familiar figures stood at the entrance. Her pink hair was the first thing that caught her eye, as was his orange clothing: Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto.

He hadn't seen them in a long time. So much had to be done after the war. The village was still damaged by Pain's attack, there were an infinite number of deaths to mourn and so many Nukenin took advantage of the ongoing turmoil to scare the civilians.

So he was happy to see his teammates again. Even if Sasuke was back, he still considered himself a member of Team 7. Sakura and Naruto had helped him break through his formerly emotionless facade. They were the reason he wanted to change.

He didn't know why they were both still awake at this time, but when Sakura laughed out loud, he noticed how he was feeling better too. With every step he approached them.

Before he could say anything, Sakura spotted him. "Hey, Sai!" she said cheerfully and gave him a tired smile. "I didn't expect you."

Naruto turned around immediately and slapped him hard on the shoulder.

He knew that this was an expression of his joy, so he raised the corners of his mouth briefly to suggest a smile. It was still difficult for him to show the positive emotions. Anger, fear, and sadness were easier.

"Sakura-chan has finished work and I wanted to invite her to Ichiraku. Are you coming, Sai?"

"It's unhealthy to eat something that rich so early in the morning," he replied.

"I told him that too," Sakura agreed. However, Naruto was not deterred.

"We're going to have ramen. I haven't seen you two in a while, and I just got back from a mission. So you have to come with me."

Sakura groaned loudly and put her hand to her forehead.

Finally Sai sealed things. "Let's go out to eat."

It wasn't the food that counted, but the company of his friends. Sai understood from the start that this was what Naruto was all about when he invited to Ichiraku. He was sure to stop by at any time of day, but he seemed to make a point of bringing as many people as possible with him.

Since Naruto was still waiting for Tsunade to come up with something for his missing arm, Sai broke his chopsticks in two today and soon three steaming bowls stood in front of them.  
"Itadakimasu!" they said at the same time before they pounced on the food.

"Tell me, Sai, what drove you outside at that time?" Sakura asked as she had just swallowed a piece of her vegetables.

"I could not sleep." She nodded and fished for an egg. Naruto relentlessly sipped his noodles.

"Do you have that often?" He considered shaking his head, not wanting her to worry. Only he couldn't lie to her. So he nodded.

"I can prescribe you sleeping pills."

"It's okay, Sakura. So I had the chance to see you guys." She narrowed her eyes merrily when he said this.

Then they fell into small talk, which was primarily intended to tease Naruto, who of course complained, but never lost his smile. Finally he said goodbye to his two friends and started to climb the highest point in Konoha: the Hokage rock.

He immediately got his brushes and paints ready so that he could catch the light of the first rays of the sun as it fell on the tree tops. Sai started with a rough sketch, which he would complete with colour as soon as the sun rose.

"That looks beautiful," said a voice next to him. He was startled and the brush fell from his hand.

"Ino, good morning," he said and picked up his brush to clean it. She had not only sneaked up to him unnoticed, no, but even sat down next to him. He was really completely absorbed in his hobby.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you, Sai."

He wanted to say something. Her presence didn't bother him. It was actually quite comfortable that she was sitting here. When she was about to get up, he took her hand.

"Please stay. The sun is about to rise." Sai saw that she wanted to say something back, but she finally sat down.

When the sun rose over Konoha it was the first sunrise that he and Ino watched together.

It would be one of many more that they didn't know about yet.

Meanwhile, Sai had forgotten why he had come here in the first place, but he was smiling.


End file.
